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他默默加快了腳步,心中懷抱一絲僥倖。記憶中,那是一個與自己村落往來頻繁的小村,名為「清羽村」。過去他常與父親一同前往,村裡的人淳樸熱情,尤其那位經常送他糖果的老婆婆,笑聲總是爽朗得像夏日風鈴。
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可當清晨的陽光灑落山巒,眼前的景象,卻讓他僵在原地。29Please respect copyright.PENANAAKM3cnX6W1
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——那是一片焦土。
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木屋全毀,石牆倒塌,滿地灰燼中仍飄散著未散盡的燻煙。曾經熱鬧的小村,如今卻只剩下破碎與寂靜。
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洛塵猛然衝入村中,雙手撥開塵土、踢開碎石,喉中喊著一個又一個熟悉的名字。但沒有回應,沒有腳步聲,只有風——在他耳邊如哭泣般吹響。
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他蹲下身,從一處倒塌的屋簷中掏出一塊半燒焦的木牌——上面依稀還刻著「清羽茶館」四字。他記得,那是村中最熱鬧的地方,也是他第一次學會泡茶的地方。
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他的拳頭微微顫抖,呼吸愈發沉重。29Please respect copyright.PENANAMQpETJKEP7
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「又是……祂們。」洛塵低語,目光逐漸變得銳利。29Please respect copyright.PENANAuvNGKAyDRe
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洛塵緊握著那塊燒焦的木牌,站在焦土之中,耳邊的風聲像是無數亡魂低語。沉默許久,他終於開口,聲音低啞:
「看來……祂們當時,是為了要殺我,才翻遍整個村子。」
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他抬起頭,環視四周那一棟棟倒塌的屋舍,眼中閃過一絲自責與痛苦。
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「這附近的村落……恐怕也都遭了殃吧。」他喃喃,「是我……是因為我的關係,害了你們全部罹難。」
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話語墜落,化作沉重的石頭壓在心頭。他站在原地,任風吹亂額前的髮絲,任腳邊灰燼隨風飄散。
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但他沒有讓悲傷停留太久。他深吸一口氣,強迫自己壓下翻湧的情緒。
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「現在還不是沉浸在悲傷裡的時候。」29Please respect copyright.PENANAJtmiGo814m
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他將那塊木牌小心放回殘瓦中,轉身離去。眼神不再迷惘,只有冷靜與堅定。
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他抬頭望向遠方山脈之後的方向,喃喃道:「還有一個村落……記得再往東走,還有一個叫『鳴溪』的小村子。」29Please respect copyright.PENANAu5GM13GEj7
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說罷,他翻過村後的石坡,背影消失在晨霧之中,朝下一個目標前進。29Please respect copyright.PENANA2Sb8Kd9ucq
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午後時分,天色漸沉。山巒的陰影拉長,遮住了林道的盡頭。
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洛塵終於來到了第二個目標:鳴溪村。
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這是個被樹林包圍的小村落,溪水潺潺,昔日總有孩子們在水邊嬉鬧的聲音迴盪。如今,卻死寂無聲。
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他踏進村口,一股淡淡的焦土氣味撲面而來。
「……果然。」
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放眼望去,滿地斷瓦殘垣,村落中央的石板路裂開,曾經整齊的木屋變成一堆堆冒著餘煙的黑灰。
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與清羽村如出一轍。甚至更徹底。29Please respect copyright.PENANAhOVjOvfQnT
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洛塵站在鳴溪村的廣場中央,微風穿過焦土,捲起灰燼。他沉默地環顧四周,一遍遍確認著:沒有聲音、沒有氣息、沒有任何生還者。
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連雞鳴狗吠都不復存在。
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他蹲下身,手掌撫過一塊尚未完全焦黑的地圖碎片,那是曾掛在祈福亭旁的村域圖,邊角被燒得蜷曲,唯有正中央依稀還能辨認出幾個村落的名字。
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洛塵的指尖滑過村名,一個接著一個。
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「清羽、鳴溪、橫川、柳埠……」他低聲唸著。
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每一個地名,都是他童年時跟著父親來回奔波過的地方。如今,只剩地圖殘影。
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他緊握拳頭,眼神一凜:「若以我們村為中心點,這幾個村落剛好呈東西向排列……距離差不多都在二十公里內。」
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他站起身,目光掃過地圖邊緣——那裡畫著一條微微扭曲的山道,正好通往北方的「霧嶺關口」,是這片區域與外界相連的唯一交通樞紐。
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「從分佈來看……應該是以我出生的村落為中心,方圓二十公里內的聚落,全都成了目標。」29Please respect copyright.PENANAz2pJaZAw9V
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洛塵站在焦黑的地圖前,拳頭緊握,指節泛白。
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那群不明勢力——不僅毀了他的家、他的過去,竟還牽連了這麼多無辜的村民。那些人從未與他有過交集,卻被迫在無聲無息中迎來死亡。
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他想起清羽村裡常常給他糖果的老婆婆,想起鳴溪村中每次都熱情請他喝溪邊竹葉茶的老人,想起那些平凡卻溫暖的笑容,如今都只剩塵土。
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「為了殺我,就要毀掉整片土地嗎……?」
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風起,吹動他衣角。灰燼在他周身旋轉,彷彿亡靈纏繞,訴說著未竟的悲鳴。
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「你們可曾想過……他們根本不知道我在哪裡……他們根本沒做錯什麼……!」
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憤怒在胸口翻騰,灼燒著他的喉嚨,灌入眼眶。
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但比起對敵人的恨,胸中最痛的,是對自己的恨。
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「若不是我……他們也許就還活著。」洛塵閉上雙眼,指甲深深嵌入掌心。
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「我沒有能力保護任何人,卻讓這麼多人因此遭殃……」
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他站在廢墟之中,彷彿整個世界都在嘲笑他的無力。
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——可他不能倒下。
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洛塵睜開眼,將悲傷深藏胸口,讓自己冷靜下來。他知道,自己不能再讓情緒左右腳步。
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「我沒有資格哭泣,現在還不是停下來的時候。」
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他低聲說著,將那張被燒黑的地圖碎片小心折好,收入懷中。
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「你們的死……我不會忘。我會把這筆帳,一筆一筆,討回來。」
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他轉過身,背對鳴溪村的焦土,目光堅定。
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「我要活下去,帶著這份罪與痛活下去,直到有能力阻止祂們為止。」
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腳步穩健地踏上歸途。傳送門的方向,正是他與現實世界交界的起點,也是他復仇與改變命運的下一站。
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日光漸西,餘暉照在他微微佝僂卻不曾退縮的背影上。那道背影,在黃昏中愈發堅定。29Please respect copyright.PENANAL6nDEDC3rI
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洛塵走在林間山道,落葉被腳步碾得沙沙作響。
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剛才的怒火與悲傷逐漸被夜風冷卻,他強迫自己冷靜,準備回到傳送門。
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然而,就在他走到一半、準備轉入岔路時,腦中突然閃過一絲異樣。
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「不對……那圖案……」
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他瞪大雙眼,腳步頓停,像是被什麼重物猛地擊中胸口般,急忙從口袋裡掏出那枚戒指——
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那枚刻著奇怪圖騰、泛著古舊光澤的戒指。
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他盯著戒面,越看越熟悉。心跳也隨之加快。
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「這個紋路……像是……!」
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腦海中,童年的一幕如潮水般湧現——
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那年,他曾跟著父親一同前往一個偏遠村落,村民們信仰著一種古老而神秘的力量,常在石碑與屋簷上雕刻象徵保護與預言的圖騰。而其中,有一個刻在村落祭壇上的圖案,就與這戒指上的紋樣極為相似。
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「對了……就是那個地方!」
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他一拍額頭,迅速轉身望向鳴溪村東南方。
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「在那座山下……再走三公里的路……那裡有個小村子,叫做『幽篁』。」
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這個名字彷彿塵封已久,連他自己都快遺忘。那村子不大,幾乎與外界斷絕來往,充滿神祕氛圍。他記得,當年村中的祭司曾對他低聲說過:「你身上藏著光與火的種子,總有一天,它會引來……命運的火焰。」
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當時他聽不懂,如今卻不寒而慄。
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「難道……這場毀滅,也與那個村子有關?」
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他攥緊戒指,眼神閃過一抹堅決。
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「不能回去了,還不能——我要去確認幽篁村的情況!」
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說罷,他轉向岔道,背對傳送門的方向,往更深的山林踏去。
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天色漸暗,林間開始起霧。
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但洛塵的心中,比任何時候都清明。
——答案,或許就藏在那最後的村落裡。
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